Finally, just a note as we had a few 'errors of course' across some of the classes this time - PLEASE make sure you check your video against the test sheet to make sure you haven't missed out any movements, as it costs you valuable marks! Also a gentle reminder to make sure your video is filmed from C and in landscape format, ideally in HD - remember we can only judge what we can see, so the clearer your video the better chance you have of being fairly marked 😊 There is plenty of advice and hints/tips on our website/blog, or why not chat to other competitors in our Demi Dressage Riders Group 🧡

In the interests of sharing the rough with the smooth, here's a little MiniD story for those of you who have followed her... MiniD had a scary incident at a pony club rally last summer, and it knocked her confidence badly, particularly riding on her own. She pushed on with riding through the end of the summer, but when it came to going back to school, her interest waned - she wasn't riding often enough to feel confident. One day she even cried when she saw me at the bus stop with Tangle to collect her and ride home (normally greeted with much enthusiasm!) 😢 Apart from our traditional Christmas Day hack together (DemiDad on foot) she didn't ride all winter. Yet it was clear to see she still wanted to: she just didn't know how to handle the fear.

Recently she's been getting into it again, but has been very up and down. She's loved spending time with the ponies on the ground (on the plus side her confidence there has improved in leaps and bounds - she is now leading her own pony which she has never liked to do, and is always asking to come to the yard 'to spend time with her pony' again) ❤️

This Yellow test was her first time riding independently in the school in several months. Last summer she was riding Yellow Plus and even starting to think about Blue on a good day, but as you can see she has dropped back a level. And that's why I wanted to share this story - because 'progress' (however such things can be measured) isn't always linear. At Demi Dressage I like to think our levels cater for that. Whilst we don't want to encourage 'pot-hunting', our levels are designed to offer a degree of lateral movement - some of our Yellow Lead Rein riders here rode their first tests off the lead at Green level for example.

So, if you've got a rider having a confidence set-back, talk to us! If you/they don't feel comfortable competing 'below their level', they can enter HC ('hors concours' - their test will still be judged, but unplaced. We'll still give them a 'Well Done' rosette!) Remember - our biggest aim is for your child to enjoy themselves! 😃

Edit because I forgot to say - for obvious reasons MiniD always 'enters' HC - I fling a spare rosette in her direction every time she rides a test, and she's none the wiser (yet)! 🤣